Big Star's Third - Central Park Summerstage review - 30th June 2013

I was fortunate enough to see Big Star back in 2008. 18 months later, Alex Chilton died of a heart attack, leaving behind one of the most under appreciated and brilliant catalogue of songs ever recorded.

Big Star - Shepherds Bush, London, 28th August 2008

When Big Star's Third was announced as an event at this year's Summerstage at Central Park I was at first curious, then I saw the list of guest performers in addition to the orchestra and I thought it would turn out to be one of two things. Either a wonderful evening filled with spectacular songs, or a grandiose bore-fest. Two things put my mind at ease before the event, first of all, the songs themselves are so brilliant I thought it would be very difficult to mess them up and frankly, I couldn't see people like Jody Stephens and Ken Stringfellow (who of course was in Big Star from 1993-2010) allowing that to happen. Thankfully those who attended were served up a spectacular evening of songs. 

A word about the setting, Central Park is of course beautiful, I have seen a few concerts here in the last 18 months and the Summerstage series is always varied and ran very well. The sound is spot-on, particularly for an outdoor event and the food on offer is great, special shout out to Pizza Moto, who make amazing pizza (it should be for $5 a slice...). On the bad side it's annoying when people lay claim to large parts of the ground with blankets, on a busy event it causes people to have to bulge out to the sides when they should really be able to just stand where they want. You're at a gig, not a picnic... but for the most part the organisers are on the right side of doing things.

Whilst this was billed as a performance of Third/Sister Lovers in full, we were also treated to many other Big Star classics before and after the "main" set, including Back of a Car, In the Street, Thirteen, When My Baby's Beside Me, I could go on but you hopefully get the idea. 

Ken Stringfellow

I had a quick peak at a review of the show they did at Chicago a couple of nights before, which made for slightly troublesome reading, citing numerous false starts, bum notes, ill-prepared singers blatantly reading off of lyric sheets, etc, thankfully that was not particularly present at all here; Marshall Crenshaw checking his phone during Oh Dana and a re-start of Nightime due to a feedback problem were the only noticeable issues.

Jody Stephens left the drumkit to take center stage for a few songs, including a lovely rendition of For You. 

Jody Stephens

We didn't get the album in order, although the exact ordering of the album has always been a bit ambiguous anyway. One dissenting voice in the crowd was complaining loudly that no-one was mentioning Alex Chilton, the perfect reply came from the stage via Django Haskins (who among performing was the designated announcer) who said "everything we're doing tonight is about Alex Chilton". In essence, what could have been an event laboured with sentimentality was dealt with love, everyone (performers and audience) knew why we were there, because Chilton's songs have touched us, we got a few nice anecdotes during the evening but the songs speak for themselves. 

One highlight of the evening saw one of my favourite singers, Sharon Van Etten (who also lives in my neighbourhood, I keep hoping I'll bump into her one day!) deliver a beautiful duet with Ken Stringfellow on Dream Lover.

Ken Stringfellow and Sharon Van Etten

Even if she isn't, I can pretend she's looking at me, right?

Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev was tasked with singing Holocaust, and he did a fine job. I'm a fan of the Mercury Rev anyway but what might have seemed like a strange pairing of singer and song was much closer to Chilton than you would possibly think. 

Jonathan Doahue

I have yet to mention the orchestra, who are certainly deserving of some praise, many of the songs on Third/Sister Lovers do feature strings of course, and so it was beautiful to hear them fleshed out in full.

I don't want to clog up this review by naming all the guests, Mike Mills filled in on numerous songs either playing bass or singing, and while REM are no more I will certainly take what I can get! His vocals on September Gurls were fantastic. Another highlight was seeing Television's Richard Lloyd play guitar on a few songs.

Mike Mills

Richard Lloyd

After two and a half hours, the evening drew to a close, as fireflies sparkled during the evening, Alex Chilton's legacy shines evermore. 

No Shit! An occasional series: No.3 - Manitoba's

Manitoba's is a bar everyone in NYC needs to go to and definitely one of my favourite haunts, owned by Handsome Dick Manitoba of the Dictators (the man himself is there fairly often), the staff are very friendly and the walls are adorned with various band pictures and posters. They could do with a better ale or two on tap but my drink of choice at the venue is usually a Killian's Red, mostly because of the Nada Surf song! 

When I needed the facilities on this particular occasion I was almost disappointed to see everything looking fairly clean, my previous memories, albeit under a considerable influence of alcohol are of dripping floors, unflushed logs and impatient knocks on the door while trying to relieve oneself. 

My favourite Manitoba's visit was this February whilst entertaining family from back home, we'd taken in a boozy brunch at cafe cortadito in the morning and I had about 8 cocktails by the time we arrived at the bar in the early afternoon. I don't actually remember drinking anything in Manitoba's but my wallet certainly tells a different story being about $100 lighter by the end of the night, members of our party napped, threw up and managed to leave possessions at the bar which were thankfully turned in and retrieved the next day. 

Manitoba's is located at 99 Avenue B, just off East 7th Street (which is probably my favourite street in the city, which I may talk about in more detail at a later date).

Score on the floor...
Venue: 9
Character: 5
Functionality: 7
Hygiene: 7 (this time!)

Total: 28

Northside Festival 2013 review

I was fortunate enough to win a music badge for the Northside festival, via My Social List. The festival is a multi-venue series of events over the course of 4 days (then continues with a film festival) in Williamsburg and Greenpoint (in other words, the north side of Brooklyn).

Thursday 13th of June

The first day of the festival happened to fall on my birthday, which was nice, I went to see Pop Zeus, Butter the Children and Bleached at the Knitting Factory.

Pop Zeus is putting out some of the best power-pop around right now and is one of my favourites, absolutely check them out if you get the chance, I really can't speak highly enough (I've been meaning to make a separate post about them for some time).

Pop Zeus

Here's a video I took, not of this particular gig but it is from a previous show at the same venue (4th of April 2013).

I wasn't too impressed with Butter the Children, the sound was maybe a bit uneven and it's hard for anyone to follow Pop Zeus whose songs are so strong and infectious, I've since listened to some of Butter the Children's studio material and it does sound much better so I'm blaming Mikey and the boys for being so hard to follow! Bleached played a really nice set, I've only heard a few of their singles but the material is pretty immediate and singer Jennifer Clavin is instantly likeable. 

Bleached

Butter the Children

I wanted to see A Place to Bury Strangers who were playing a few blocks away at the Music Hall Williamsburg so I headed there after the Bleached show, they were already into their set when I arrived but I was incredibly impressed by their intensity, some bands just make noise for the sake of it and you can sense it isn't terribly genuine but they were the real deal. Whilst I liked seeing Bleached, this was like a shot of adrenaline, maybe I've been watching too much regular rock and roll lately but my mind was blown. 

A Place to Bury Strangers

The headliners at this show were Danish band, Iceage, who had been getting all the press leading up to the first day of the festival. I have to confess I found them a terrible bore, all attitude but no actual songs of which to speak, singer Elias Bender Rønnenfelt barked into the microphone and the crowd lapped it up, but talk about style over substance. 

Iceage

Friday 14th of June

On Friday I had a few options, and was looking forward to taking advantage of a happy hour or two with free cocktails to loosen me up a bit before going to see Torche at 285 Kent Ave then seeing White Fence play a late show at the Knitting Factory. Unfortunately a few events made me miss the free booze and I first ended up at the South Street Seaport around 7'ish (not a Northside event), so I watched Paws play their set down there, who I quite enjoyed in a Dinosaur Jr/Swervedriver throwback way.

Paws

Afterwards I high-tailed it back to Brooklyn to 285 Kent Avenue, I missed openers Inter Arma but did arrive just before Lo-Pan took to the stage to deliver a solid slab of stoner sludge rock, I'll be keeping an eye out for them again.

Lo-Pan

Next up was Ken Mode, I was certain they were going to break through the stage as the singer hunched and stamped so often the boards were beginning to wobble... musically I don't think they were too memorable, lots of aggression but I'm not remembering any of the music after the fact.

Ken Mode

I didn't really know a whole lot about Torche but what I read about them sounded interesting, the one song I did listen to was a bit more sugary than the description but they really delivered a bludgeoning set and had the audience eating it up, I would definitely recommend them as a live band and will be looking forward to exploring the studio output. They have some intricate moments as well for the musos out there.

Torche

The White Fence show at the Knitting Factory was sold out when I got there, but thankfully I could get in because of my pass, so that was good... I missed opening act Honey so can't comment on them, the next band up was Las Rosas, who I have seen a few times before, they play a solid set but I think all the various members of Wild Yaks/Las Rosas/Daytona have stretched themselves a bit too thin with all the various bands and lack a consistent body of work. 

White Fence sound like they worship the Nuggets boxsets, which is no bad thing and they seemed to revel at the late set time (they came on stage at 1am), they played for about 90 minutes and had complained about the strict stage and curfew times they had just experienced in Europe (though I was just talking with someone the other day that headliners tend to get more time to play in the UK (a normal headline set back home is 90 minutes), while in New York most bands don't play for more than an hour and encores are rare).

White Fence

With all the subway works going on I decided I really couldn't be bothered to try and tackle that way home at 3am in the morning so stumped up for a cab back to Ditmas Park.

Saturday 15th of June

Saturday the 15th was a non-Northside interlude as The Zombies were playing at Central Park, I had seen The Zombies in London back in 2004 and while I would have liked to see The Walkmen at McCarren Park there are very, very few bands who have put out something as truly wonderful as The Zombies Odessey and Oracle. While the band perhaps faff about a bit too much with side-projects and noodle a bit on occasion, the O&O material is utterly enchanting and Coline Blunstone still has a magnificent voice. Here is a video I took of one of my favourite songs of all time, Care of Cell 44.

Adam Green and Binki Shapiro opened the show and played an endearing set, with Green in particular an enchanting frontman, with his baritone vocals a fitting lullaby to such fantastic weather. 

Adam Green

Second band, Django Django were a forgettable boppy and dancey rock band, it all seemed a bit obvious which was disappointing because I'd heard good things about them. The show finished at 10pm and there was no late show worthy of the travel effort at Northside, so I headed back home. 

Sunday 16th of June

I had a reservation for a Jameson's event at midday, free booze can be a dangerous thing that early in the day. It was an interesting event but one that would have been immeasurably improved if I had company but since my social skills are about as good as a chocolate teapot that isn't easy. I managed to get into a blending session which felt like a science class, which was fine for me. I made my own blend but I am a single malt scotch drinker, although booze does tend to taste better if it's free.

The band scheduled for that session were Spires, who I enjoyed, they play a 90s shoegaze/britpop blend of rock and mentioned how difficult it was to be up so early!

Spires

I did pretty well not to be absolutely off my face by 3pm and wandered over to Muchmore's, which was a new venue for me and scored points immediately as the guy on the door struck up a conversation with me for wearing my James Gunn's Slither t-shirt, one of my favourite movies. I had been wanting to see The Teen Age for a few months now but had always managed to miss them, they did not disappoint and played a fine short set. 

I Also saw Sewing Machines, Bugs in the Dark and Ula Ruth. I enjoyed Bugs in the Dark in particular and will try to catch them again.

Ideally I would have liked to have seen Lambchop at Europa and then gone to 285 Kent to see The Soft Moon, but I was outvoted and ended up at Shea Stadium to see Psychic Blood, Big Ups, Destruction Unit and Nü Sensae. The evening was mostly an intense and moody night, with each band having strengths and flaws.

Psychic Blood

The Big Ups

Destruction Unit

Nü Sensae

Would I pay for a Northside Badge? I'm not sure, it felt good to have one but it's something you really do have to commit to experiencing full on to get value from it, The Zombies show would really have put a spanner in the works if I'd paid for a badge and something like that is quite likely to happen each year. As it was all the shows I did attend probably didn't amount to the cost of a badge (I think the shows would have totalled around $75, the badge costs $80, so I would have done it had I done something on Saturday) and of course I only went to some of them because I had a badge, although it would be worth it if the more expensive shows happen to be ones you go to. I think they could improve the schedule if they staggered the event times each night so you had a bit more option to go to and from shows, having some shows start earlier and finish later would mean you could fit more in. The White Fence show was an example of an overspill from the other shows of the night as it was the only late event worth going to and some people must have been turned away. 

All in all, it's a pretty well-run thing and they have been growing each year, I'm excited about next year even if I do end up just going to events a la carte. 

Mark Kozelek and Jimmy LaValle - Perils from the Sea - album review

Perils from the Sea is a collaboration between Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters, Sun Kil Moon and solo) and Jimmy LaValle (The Album Leaf). 


The material consists mostly of sparse synths and electronic percussion, leaving plenty of room for Kozelek's voice. The instrumentation is repetitive but with a hypnotic quality which is all down to LaValle while Kozelek handles the lyrics and vocals. The style probably lends itself to those who like to sit down and listen to music.

The record opens with What Happened to my Brother, which sounds like a glorious 8-bit video game. On Gustavo, Koz's vocals sound weary but in a deliberate way, he has a husk that befits the music and the lyrics.

Whilst each track centers around a repetitive synth, keyboard or organ line, the array of sounds stops this record from being a one trick pony. I haven't seen any confirmation from LaVelle (who wrote all the music) but many of the compositions strike me as being influenced by Arvo Part's tintinnabuli style (I notice this mostly since Spiegel Im Spiegel is my favourite piece of music). 

Kozelek's vocals take an even more raspy and heartbroken tone in You Missed My Heart, which may be the highlight of the album.

Caroline sees us dip into the most familiar territory since it has a picked guitar lead, which slowly takes a backseat to the percussion and vocals, which include the now customary boxing reference! 

Even as a hardened fan, I've grown a little frustrated with Kozelek's almost exclusively finger-picked material of the last few years and countless live releases, so this record is quite the delight which only grows stronger with each listen. A victory for removing oneself from a comfort zone into new territory. 

8.5/10

Tracklisting
1. What Happened To My Brother
2. 1936
3. Gustavo
4. Baby In Death Can I Rest Next To Your Grave
5. Ceiling Gazing
6. You Missed My Heart
7. Caroline
8. He Always Felt Like Dancing
9. By The Time That I Awoke
10. Here Come More Perils From The Sea
11. Somehow The Wonder Of Life Prevails

Perils from the Sea can be purchased from Caldo Verde records.

No Shit! An occasional series: No.2 - Cameo Gallery

After kicking off the series with the monstrous DBA toilet, our attention now turns to yet another Williamsburg establishment, the Cameo Gallery (this toilet is actually in between the music venue and connecting cafe, The Lovin' Cup). The venue itself is more professionally ran than the raft of DIY venues in the area, featuring an actual bar, a good sound system and a room that's probably a bit too clean and hip for my liking if I'm being picky.

Before heading in to see the live US debut of Belfast Band, Girls Names (who were excellent, by the way), I needed the facilities. I'd been to the venue before to see La Sera (who are also brilliant), but did not have a call of nature.

As you can see from the pictures, there is something incredibly sinister about this place. Forget about saying Candyman in the mirror three times, I was half expecting Dexter to appear behind me as I took a slash.

Whilst the serial killer lighting makes it memorable, the rest of the room is fairly bland, minimal graffiti, functional toilet AND taps (DBA take note...).

Cameo Gallery - A spooky but ultimately tame toilet experience.

Score on the floor...
Venue: 6.5
Character: 5
Functionality: 6
Hygiene: 6

No Shit Score: 23.5

No shit! An occasional series: No.1 - Death By Audio

The state of most toilets in New York is shocking, for newcomers I imagine this is considerably disconcerting. However, there comes a time where you must embrace filth and ultimately these things become endearing. Afterall, you're sharing this city with over 8 million people as it is, anyone who remotely leans towards being a germophone would be particularly crippled. If you suffer from lutropublicaphobia, please never come here, for your own sake.

Now, onto our first offering, which is at Williamsburg music venue, Death By Audio. 

I like DBA, it's my kind of venue and I've seen some good acts there, I guess you could call it "intimate", music venues should not be pretentious, and they definitely should not be clean, two very important boxes are ticked here! 

Anyway, enough about the venue, which may feature in a separate series in the future, let's check out the bog. Graffiti like that takes time to build up. While I expect things to look terrible I do expect facilities to work, thankfully the toilet itself is functional but be warned, I don't think the tap has ever worked when I've gone there and while patrons may do a double-take at what looks like the tub of stale vaseline on top of the unit, it's actually an odour eater.

DBA, don't ever change.

Score on the floor...
Venue: 8
Character: 8
Functionality: 4
Hygiene: 4

No Shit Score: 24

The Men - New Moon album + Bowery Ballroom review

The Men have described New Moon as "their most intensely personal album" and they certainly serve up both an enchanting and complex record that will demand effort from any listener.

The record opens with a low-key country number, Open the Door before we're served up a double whammy of raucous Americana-like workouts with Half Angel Half Light followed by Without a Face. It's as if someone ripped up the country-rock rule book, sped things up and turned all the amps up to 11, like someone held a gun to Tom Petty's head and told him to put together a real fucking rock and roll record by the morning or they would blow his brains out (note - this record does not sound like Tom Petty...), the songs are raw and haven't been laboured over. There's definitely a Neil Young and Crazy Horse vibe on some of the songs, like I Saw Her Face, which would fit seamlessly onto Zuma, complete with raging guitar solo. 

High and Lonesome gives us a couple of minutes to catch our breaths and reflect with a forlorn slide guitar taking centre stage. It isn't long before before you're caught up in another whirlwind, as The Brass does its best to melt your brain.

Lead single, Electric, is probably closest the band come to sounding like previous record, Open Your Heart.

The album closes with Supermoon, which features more of that crazy, crashing and burning wig-out that that gives your brain a real workout, not in a look at us type way, just a band that is pushing themselves to their very limit, dragging the listener along with them whether they like it or not. The only thing missing is an actual kitchen sink! I haven't been left reeling like this by a closing song in a long time, while the band may have gone in a slightly more traditional direction they have not substituted any of their intensity and in some ways have even upped it, they have to play even harder in this setup. For me, New Moon is the strongest record of 2013 so far. 

I managed to pick up bonus EP, Campfire Songs at their record release show, a 5 song set, which sounds like the title suggests, a bunch of guys sat around a campfire with acoustic guitars. It's a lovely accompaniment to the record, the vocals are distant, almost demo-like. 

At their sold-out Bowery Ballroom show, openers Parquet Courts impressed me greatly, I had listened to their record, Light Up Gold, which did pass me by a little bit but off the back of their support slot I will certainly revisit. 

Nude Beach were also on the bill, who I had seen the previous night supporting The Babies at the Knitting Factory, they play an unashamed retro garage rock that is infectious, thankfully that night they played their best song, Some Kinda Love, which they hadn't played the night before.

This was the first time I had seen The Men, and they do not excel at subtlety! It must be a difficult job to get the sound right when you've got 5 guys going full-on all the time, the vocals were way too low in the mix but aside from that small complaint the band absolutely rifled through their set, even the slow numbers seemed to give little respite.

The set was obviously tilted towards the new material, but we still got a smattering of material from the previous two records, the venue erupted when they stormed through Open Your Heart, in particular. They are an impressive live act, and I'll certainly be hoping to catch them again now that I've had a chance to immerse myself in the album.